Merry Christmas

It's Christmas, and with the kids grown, and no family around, it just seems like any other day. Christmas is fun with kids around. I remember when I was a kid, we had to wait until my dad finished his cup of coffee. He managed to drag out that cup of coffee so long, we didn't think he'd ever finish it. I know he did it to make us squirmy kids suffer. I could have done it with our kids, but I don't like coffee. I suppose I could have done it with my morning chocolate milk. Tim did it though, and then he thought we needed to eat breakfast first. That didn't fly with anyone. Adults have a cruel streak in them at certain times of the year. Also, everyone knows when the kids are really little, the boxes, bows, ribbons and paper are the best part. We could have saved a lot of money by just wrapping up empty boxes. One year, when all 3 kids could count, they discovered Alyssa had 1 less present under the tree. I spent the same amount on all 3 of them, but the amount of presents count. I jumped in the car and drove the 1/2 hour into town and went to the only place that was still open, a Thrifty's Drug Store. Not much toy selection there, but I did find a mermaid. All was well with the new count after that and I learned to wrap the same amount of gifts for the kids, even if it was  just wrapped batteries.

Was That Sunshine?

I think I saw sunshine yesterday for about half an hour. I'm not really sure, since it's been raining for 2 weeks and gray and foggy when it's not raining. Whatever it was, it sure was bright. I almost had to close the blinds some, but by the time I was going to close them, it was gone. I saw some more of it for about 10 minutes today, but it was on a distant hill. All our rain saturated ground turned to ice over night, with a very, very, light dusting of snow. It's very slick outside, so I'm inside.

Moose or Bigfoot

Last night, when I was taking the dogs out, a big, hairy, smelly, thing ambled through the trees, just passed the little clearing, not to far from where we were standing in the front yard. It scared all 3 of us. Moose aren't the nicest of critters, and I have heard bigfoot can be tempramental, also. Tim thinks the dogs and I just made it up, because he didn't see anything when he took out the mega light to look. he did smell it, though. I really did hear something really large and saw some huge antlers way up in the air, so I guess that leaves out bigfoot. The ground is so frozen there were no hoof prints and since we have no snow, no prints in that either. Chip was doing his best impression of a gaurd dog, but I could tell he'd turn and run toward the house in a second.  He did have a leash on, since it was very dark outside. Jake was already at the door. Murphy probably would have chased it away, but hewas sleeping in his rocking chair where it was nice and warm. We didn't see or smell anything tonight. Of course, no camera. It was too dark to take a picture, anyway. Besides that, it's hard to take a picture, dragging a puppy on a leash, while quickly walking toward the house. Life is interesting up here.

Chip

Two weeks ago, I bought a 6 month old male chocolate poodle( I have been told since then, that they are just called brown, not chocolate) puppy named Chico. I changed his name to Chip. Now he's a chocolate Chip. Some people have a warped sense of humor. It took him a day to learn his new name. He has small dog syndrome. He was the runt of the litter and had no training other than housebreaking and crate training. Now, he gets to unlearn 6 months of doing what he wants. One good thing about Chip, is, he learns fast. Poodles are suppose to be very smart. Our son, Daniel, told me he couldn't believe his mother got a poodle. Our daughter, Amy, says she doesn't know what's worse, owning a chihuahua (she has a cute long haired one named Elsa) or owning a poodle. Jake and Chip get along well, and Chip really wants Murphy to play. Murphy is not impressed. It's a big change having a 7 pound puppy vs a 150 pound lab/horse mix. I am too old for big dogs these days, even though we do miss Dixie. It's funny watching Chip play and fly through the air with the greatest of ease. It's a good thing we don't have 2 dogs flying through the air. We just have 2 dogs running in the house chasing each other all the time. At least they aren't fighting.

'Tis The Season For....Mud?

Well, it's that time of year again. Mud season. We had an 1 1/2 -2 inches of snow Friday. It sure looked pretty. It started earlier this year than last. Now, we get rain. Snow+ rain= mud. Muddy dog and cat paw prints all over the kitchen floor since they haven't learned to wipe their feet yet. Jake, the dog, hates icky feet. Murphy, the cat, could care less about icky feet. Me, I just get to stay inside so I don't slip and break anything again this year. Oh, and I get to dry off the soggy cat and wipe Jake's feet off. At least, he has learned to stay on the rug until I'm done. Yes, I know. I wanted seasons other than brown, but mud is brown. Remember walking through the mud bare footed as a kid? Splashing in puddles? Snowball fights? Now that I am older, it's hot chocolate with lots of marsmellows, and a good book. Life is good.

Snow

We are having the first snow of the season in my snow globe world. So far, about 1/4" and melting.The National Weather Service says less than 1", which is much better than 80" in 3 weeks like last year, but that wasn't until December, either. Time will tell. After that, more rain. Just what we need; more mud. I have lots to keep me entertained when I'm housebound. This year, I've decided to lear to knit. I took knitting lessons when I was 12 and remember the knit stitch and how to cast on and bind off. I need to relearn the purl stitch. My handspun yarn will look much better knitted than crocheted. Less bulky. First, I have to finish and start another sweater for my grandsons for Christmas. One day, maybe, I'll finish all my started, but not finished, crafts. I have quite a few of them. There are reasons they haven't been finished yet. I look at them periodically, and still have no great desire to finish most them. I guess if I get really hard up for something to do, they'll be on my list somewhere.

Life In a Soggy Snow Globe

Fall is here, and so is the rain. No snow yet, but maybe Friday. Our weather lady says it's supposed to be less snowy than last year. Jake, our dog, won't go out in the rain unless you really make him, and then he gives you dirty looks the whole time. He doesn't like to get his feet muddy. Murphy, the cat, comes in one door, only to go out the other door, and then around the house to the first door, only to do it all over again. All day long. Murphy doesn't really mind rain, unless it's pouring heavily. On some trips through the house, Murphy will want his food, so I put it down only for him to decide it's not what he raelly wants. You have to make sure he doesn't see the bottom of his food dish, or he comes and gets you to let you know he needs food. So I shake his dish if there is a lot of food in it and add more if needed. Maybe it has something to do with his starving kitten days before he found us. When we do get snow, the in and out routine will be reversed. Jake will want to stay out and Murphy will be quite happy in his rocking chair by the heater vent. He's no dummy, just weird.

Just call me Dr. Doolittle

Yesterday afternoon, about 20 teenage male turkeys came for their grasshoppers. (I really wish they liked wasps.) I should have gotten my camera and taken a movie of them. Instead, I sat in my chair by the front room window and gobbled at them. (Some people have waaay to much time on their hands.) Gobble, gobble, gobble. And then there was an answering gobble. I gobbled again and got another answer. In a few seconds, all the turkeys stopped eating and looked at me. (They know a weird human when they see and hear one.) Anyway, after this went on for a few minutes, one bigger turkey came up to the window and stared in and gobbled at me. It was pretty funny, the turkey and I, gobbling at each other through a window. If I had enough bread, I would have started the "here turkey, turkey" call and tossed them a few pieces. Last winter, when the turkeys came by, they all charged the front door when they saw me through the window, knowing they would get bread. They were stuffed turkeys afterwards. I know, you aren't suppose to feed wild animals, but the turkeys expect it, since I'm not the only one who feeds them. I have to make sure the turkeys aren't around when I take my hike to the mail box. It would be even funnier if I had to explain to people that I was mobbed by a flock of turkeys looking for food and good conversation.

Fall in the air

Fall is in the air. It only got to 63 today and it's suppose to get down to 34. It seems earlier this year. The leaves are starting to change colors and the wildlife are starting to fatten themselves up for winter. Soon, I will be confined to the house in my snow globe world. It's suppose to be in the 70's and 80's this week, so I have time to gather food and things to keep me occupied during winter. I guess the little squirrel that lives in our woods, and I, will be busy. I think we have another month or two or three before really cold weather hits. I don't know if I will be ready, but the squirrel will be.

A Funny Sight

Today, we had two different flocks of wild turkeys come thru the yard. The first group were younger than the second. They were feeding on the grasshoppers. The second flock were chasing grasshoppers and jumping to catch them in the air. It was funny seeing them jumping and crashing into each other for a tasty bug. I wish they had come earlier in the summer when the grasshoppers were really bad. Now, they are just about done for the year. Any grasshopper removal helps.